Friday Freebies

Randolph's Leap
First thing tomorrow morning I'll be hauling myself out of bed an ungodly hour to head up to my first T in the Park for five years. The last time I went, I came back engaged - I've always been classy. This time round I'll be on my best behaviour as I am acting as tour manager (ie driving the van) for Randolph's Leap, as they will be opening the T Break Stage at 12pm on the Saturday. If you're going to be be there for the gates opening, make sure you pop your head in - even if you're not a fan (how could you not be?!), it will be an ideal place to shelter from the rain. As a wee taster to encourage folk to come and see them play, the band have released a free download of a new unreleased song called 'Man, I Feel Rough'. Which I think is pretty damn ace, but then again I am just a little bit biased. You can make your own mind up by streaming the song below.



Chris Devotion and The Expectations
Another cracking band that will be appearing on this years T Break stage, are Chris Devotion and The Expectations. Having had the pleasure of putting them on at our Bloggers showcase gig at goNorth, I can vouch for how good they are live. Sadly I won't get to witness their set as they're playing on the Sunday and I'll long gone by then, if you are going to still be up then get yourself along at 13.40 for a tight ass rock 'n roll show. In the event that you need a wee bit of persuading, you should check out their song, 'The Girl Is Leaving', which they've made available as a free download. If you're not going to T, you can also catch them at Belladrum and the Wickerman Festival!



Chemikal Underground
Scotland's coolest and most influential label, Chemikal Underground, are currently giving away a free compilation featuring an array of talent, including, The Phantom Band, Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat, RM Hubbert and a whole host of other goodies. You can download the compilation for free from Amazon



Scottish Fiction
My fellow blogger,  Scottish Fiction, is back with another one of his series of free EP's. This month he's got managed to gather in a whole host of  up and coming talent. If you want to get your grubby little mitts on free tracks from The Seven Deadly Sins, Mad Nurse, Make Sparks and Aaron Wright, then just head on over to his Bandcamp page.





Snow Patrol
I know, I know, if I had any street cred then I wouldn't be posting anything up by Snow Patrol, but fuck it, I don't care if you don't like them, as I do. So deal with it. If you do like Mr Lightbody & Co, then you might be interested to learn that they've made a new version of Lifening (Burst To Life Mix) available as a free download on their homepage.



PET
Okay so it's not quite free, it's one of those pay you want type deals, but you can opt to pay nowt if you like. It's the return of Edinburgh outfit, PET, who have just released their fourth single, 'Together Apart', which you can download from Bandcamp. 





We Are The Physics
Monday there saw the return of Gasgow's finest 'mutant science punks', We Are The Physics. They've come back with a bit of a bang, with their new single, 'GORAN IVANISEVIC' taken from their forthcoming album 'Album Details Not Ready Yet'. Did I mention it's free, I didn't need to, did I?!




Tilly & The Wall
It has been that long since I last heard anything from Tilly & The Wall, that I presumed they'd chucked it ages ago. Apparently I was wrong, as they have new album called Heavy Mood in the offing,  as a wee taster they've made the first single from it,  'Love Riot' available as a free download through Stereogum. By the sound of things I htink they have ditched he whole tap dancers as percussionists thing. I may well be wrong, and often am.

Drunk Mule
To finish off this weeks freebies, it's our old pals Drunk Mule, once again they've recorded a new tune which they're giving away as a free download. This one's called 'Fancy Pants' and it's free to download from their Bandcamp page.

Snow Patrol - World Cafe Session (20/01/12)

Track Listing

    1. Called Out In The Dark    

2. Lifening    

3. New York

4. Chocolate

Download

Snow Patrol - Radio One Session (14/11/11)

Track Listing

1. This Isn't Everything You Are
2. Last Friday Night (Katy Perry cover)

Download

Snow Patrol - Radio One Session (07/09/11)

Track Listing
1. Fallen Empires
2. Called Out In The Dark

Download
Watch the videos

We've Got It Covered #3

Week 3 and I'm going all mainstream on you, fuck it, I don't care. The second 'Patrol album still rates as one of my all time favourites, aye the one before 'Final Straw', the one with the ridiculously long album title. I have had this cover for a quite a few years now, I've no idea where I picked it up though. It's a beautiful interpretation of an already gorgeous song.

Snow Patrol - New Partner (Bonnie Prince Billy Cover) MP3

Partrol-ling the Park

Snow Patrol have just announced that they are to play Bellahouston Park in Glasgow this coming June, with support coming from Band of Horses, Frightened Rabbit and a very special guest soon to be announced (my money is on Elbow). Am I excited? hell yes, love the Patrol, love the Frabbit and Band of Horses ain't bad either (although their last album wasn't all that great to be honest). Pre-tickets go on sale today at 9am here, you'll need to sign up first though.

Snow Patrol
Band of Horses
Frightened Rabbit

Gary Lightbody's Buck-ing Pony

As some of you may already know, Gary Lightbody, lead singer of Snow Patrol is working with a new band called Tired Pony to record a country-tinged album. He's roped in a fine selection of artists to work with him including R.E.M.'s guitarist Peter Buck, Iain Archer and his wife and singer Miriam Kaufman, Belle and Sebastian's drummer Richard Colburn. In a recent interview with Vic Galloway, Lightbody revealed that he had managed to rope in two more members whom he was very excited about, but didn't name them. One of which we now know to be Peter Buck, the other remains a mystery

The meeting of great musical minds is taking place as we speak in the US. Gary Lightbody has revealed that the superstar guest on his R.E.M.’s Peter Buck. Gary recently told
Q magazine that “Peter is one of my all-time heroes, “I admire his versatility, he can play any stringed instrument and more besides. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with! He’s a real innovator, which is great because this is a whole new project.”
Having previously managed to gather a host of Glasgow indie stars to record his Reindeer Section side project, I am quite intrigued to see who the other special guest is going to be. They toured with U2 and Coldplay in recent years, or am I thinking too big? Perhaps some of Granddaddy? They toured with them just before 'Run' broke, so perhaps that's a possibility. Anyone else got any suggestions?

Also, being the busy little bee that he is, once the Tired Pony sessions are completed, Lightbody and Lee will head to LA to record an electronic album under the Listen… Tanks! banner. The last time Lightbody worked this hard we got two Reindeer Section albums and 'Final Straw', am I excited, fuck yes.

Tired Pony - Untitled Demo
Listen... Tanks! - Black and Silver
The Reindeer Section - The Last Post Until The Heart Gives Away

Gary Lightbody - Vic Galloway Session (04/01/10)

Track Listing
1. Give Me Strength

Download
Watch the Video

Snow Patrol - Live at BBC Children in Need's Rocks the Royal Albert Hall.

Track Listing

1. Chasing Cars
2. Set the Fire to the Third Bar (with Cheryl Cole)

Download

Snow Patrol - BBC Radio One Live Lounge from Maida Vale Studios (30/10/09)

Track Listing
1. Ray of Light (Madonna cover)
2. Chasing Cars
3. Teenage Kicks (Undertones cover)
4. New Sensation (INXS cover)
5. Just Say Yes

Download
Watch the videos

The Mother Fucking Reindeer Section!!!!!!!

Right I'm sleepy, got back home at half one last night after venturing over to the east coast to see the Frabbit, good it was too. Bob's promised me a review so I won't say anymore about it. Anyway, as usual before starting to do any work I cleared out my emails, spotted that Snow Patrol were touring. Clyde Auditorium, "fuck that", delete. Mentioned it to a work mate, so I went back and dug it out me trash, so glad I did as after re-reading the email I find out that they're going to be playing Reindeer Section songs. I love the 'Section, their gigs rate as some of the best I have ever been to. so yes I am somewhat excited at the prospect of hearing the songs live again.

Anyway, the gig as on the 30th of November, tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday 27th August at 9am, although there is a pre-sale for members only, which you can access here. Tickets are pretty pricey though starting at £35 right up to £55, better be good at those prices.

I'll leave you with my all time favourite song, ever.

The Reindeer Section - Cartwheels (Hub Session)

Snow Patrol - Shepherds Bush Empire (2004)

Track Listing

1. Wow
2. Gleaming Auction
3. Whatever's Left
4. How T Be Dead
5. Chocolate
6. An Olive Grove Facing The Sea
7. Same
8. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking
9. Ways And Means
10. Run
11. Spitting Games

Encore
12. Post Punk Progression
13. Tiny Little Fractures


Download
Myspace

Blast from the Past (part 3) The Reindeer Section - Son of an Evil Reindeer

Reindeer Section were a Scottish super-group assembled by Gary Lightbody of the Snow Patrol , who got together members of various Scottish bands including, Arab Strap, Belle And Sebastian, Mogwai, Astrid, Idlewild, Snow Patrol, Mull Historical Society, Alfie (yes i know they're not Scottish), teenage Fanclub and the Vaselines, to name but a few. Their first album, Y'all Get Scared Now Ya Hear (2001), was received enthusiastically by the press, despite the fact that each song was vastly different than the standards of the original bands. The 'super-group' released their second album, , 'Son of Evil Reindeer on Bright Star Recordings, 2002, featuring one my all time favourite songs, 'Cartwheels'. The band's last gig to date was on the 14th of December 2002 at the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow, and an amazing gig it was too.

It was soon after this that Snow Patrol were signed up and then came 'Run' and off Snow Patrol soared into arenas and million selling albums. So will we ever see another 'Section album personally I doubt it, Gary is too busy with his day job these days. Although in an interview with Planet Sound last year he did leave the carrot dangling.
"If we could do one in the same spirit of the first two, I'd love to do a third record. I'd want the same cast of 27 people involved - 27 is a big enough number. The trouble is, I don't get to Glasgow much now, so I can't do much arm-twisting any more."' Planet Sound


Try it
Myspace
Y'all Get Scared Now Ya Hear

Christmas Song #3

3. Snow Patrol - When I Get Home For Christmas

download it here